Bail is $2M for protest-shooting suspect
MADISON, Wis. — Bail was set at $2 million Monday for a 17-year-old from Illinois accused of killing two men during an August protest in Kenosha, Wis., after the father of one victim told the court the teen “thinks he’s above the law” and would disappear if freed before the trial.
Kyle Rittenhouse, of Antioch, Ill., is charged with fatally shooting Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber during a protest over a police shooting in August. He is also charged with wounding a third man, Gaige Grosskreutz.
Rittenhouse turned himself in to police in Antioch the morning after the Aug. 25 shootings. He was extradited to Wisconsin on Friday and made his initial court appearance in Kenosha County on Monday.
In addition to the homicide charges, Rittenhouse faces counts of attempted homicide, reckless endangerment and being a minor in possession of a firearm.
His attorney, Mark Richards, asked Court Commissioner Loren Keating to set bail at $750,000 and place Rittenhouse on electronic monitoring, arguing that the protesters had attacked the teen that night and that Rittenhouse had fired in self-defense. A legal defense fund for Rittenhouse has attracted millions of dollars in donations.
Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger asked for $2 million bond, noting that Rittenhouse faces life in prison if convicted of the homicide charges, which makes him a flight risk.
In setting bail, Keating also ordered Rittenhouse not to have any contact with the victims’ families or to possess any weapons if he’s released.